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September 24, 2008

With the advance of medical technologies and the increasing power over life and death that they afford, discussions of “human dignity” have begun to take a more central role in bioethics. How should we view this dignity discourse? Is “human dignity” a useful concept that leads to determinate answers on issues like stem cell research and care for the dying? Or, is it instead a concept prone to misuse, an empty vessel or a camouflage for unconvincing arguments and unarticulated biases? This debate examined these questions and brought together speakers from a variety of backgrounds and expertise spanning the disciplines of philosophy, law, theology, and medicine. Among the participants were Nick Bostrom, Dan Brock, Martha Nussbaum, and Edmund Pellegrino.

Tags

bioethics   end of life   stem cells